GB1329646A - Machine tool with tool exchangiang mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

1329646 Tool changers; drilling machines B W-WEBER VERWALTUNGS GmbH 18 May 1971 [29 May 1970 4 Dec 1970] 15484/71 Headings B3B and B3C A machine tool comprises a base 1, a headstock 3 slidable along said base in a working direction, and a spindle tool head 4 rotatable about an axis 5 on the headstock at 45 degrees to the working direction, said tool head having a plurality of tool supports 6, 7 having supporting planes inclined equally around the axis 5 and at least two tool supports 6, 7 having supporting planes at a right angles to each other which is bisected by the axis 5. Means are provided to rotate the tool head 4 to a number of positions and to releasably lock it thereat, and wherein one of said tool supports 6 faces in said working direction and another tool support 7 forms an exchanging position at right angle to said working direction. At least two multiplespindle heads 8, 9 are mounted on at least two tool supports 6, 7 and rotation of the tool head 4 through 180 degrees enables a head 8 to operate on a workpiece while head 9 can be exchanged. A magazine 13 is formed of an endless track 17 on which carriages 18, 19 move as an endless train to carry multi-spindle heads to an exchange position. A rack 24 and pinion 25 drive operates a push-pull device 21 having a gripper 26 for moving the multi-spindle heads between the magazine and tool head 4. The magazine is connected to the headstock 3 by a guide track 12 having inner and outer telescopic rails so that a spindle head exchanges can take place at any position of the headstock 3. A sensing device comprising cam operated switches senses the arrival of a spindle head 9 on the tool support 7 and stops its movement smoothly to prevent disturbance of the tools 2 in the spindle head 8 that may be operating on a workpiece during a spindle head interchange. In a second embodiment the tool head 104 has four tool supports that carry a pair of oppositely arranged multi-spindle heads 108, 109 and a pair of oppositely arranged single tool heads 164, 165. Two separate magazines are provided. The single tool heads are carried in a chain conveyer magazine 168 mounted on and movable with the headstock 103 and a fluid pressure operated transfer gripper device 178, 179 is provided. The multi-spindle heads are arranged in two parallel rows of compartments 118 and a carriage 182 having a pivoting beam 184 for extracting the heads moves a selected head in line with a rack and pinion drive device 121 to be fed to the tool head 104. The machine tool is programme controlled.